


The Merman and the Baker

by SieberSounds



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Cinderella Elements, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Little Mermaid Elements, Marichat, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, mermaid, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-22 09:50:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8281558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SieberSounds/pseuds/SieberSounds
Summary: A cross between the original little mermaid and Cinderella, told from Adrien's point of view. Tons of MariChat, but a little of the entire love square.Oh yeah. Adrien's the little merman.





	1. The First Day

**2:48 AM**

Adrien felt a warm current weave around his shoulders. He was exhausted from his frantic swim and found shelter inside a cave. At the time he hadn't checked to see if there was anything else living in it but he hadn't been eaten yet, which was a good sign. 

He shifted, just barely awake, to let the warm water caress his aching muscles. His stomach was angry with him, demanding to be fed, but his eyes refused to open. Mustering all of his energy to sprinkle sand on his eyelids, he fell back asleep.

**3:59 AM**

Adrien’s eyes shot open as his back began to burn. He whipped around to see what it was that was attacking him, but nothing was there. A moment later, it hit him: A rush of boiling water.

He wasn’t in a cave.  
He was in a crevice of a volcano.

He turned around and swam as fast as he possibly could. The volcano was about to blow and could do some serious damage. No wonder there weren’t any predators around. Adrien rubbed the remaining sand off of his eyes to finish waking up and made the mistake of looking back to look at the volcano. It was lighting up the otherwise pitch-black ocean floor. It reminded Adrien of the stories his mother used to tell him about stars. He was never allowed close enough to the surface to see them, as his father feared a legman would take him and sell him on the surface.

 _I wonder if the surface is prettier than the ocean,_ he thought to himself.

The current pushed him further from the volcano, jerking him away from his thoughts and burning his back. He flinched at the pain but knew that traveling with the current would be safer, even if he got a little burned. He wasn’t sure how much longer the volcano had before erupting and he didn’t want to find out.

**6:23 AM**

He was floating in open water but Adrien didn’t have the energy to move. He had always bragged about his endurance but the last twelve hours were too much, even for him.

The ocean current caressed him, a lullaby to fall asleep. He wouldn’t be able to without sand, but Adrien closed his eyes, hoping a moment of stillness would help his muscles to regain their strength. From a distance he looked peaceful, an aesthetic any painter would love to capture. His mind went blank from exhaustion and he faded out of consciousness.

**7:34 AM**

Adrien felt his stomach pressing on something. He curled his hands, hoping to reboot his mind, and ended up with handfuls of sand. Some of it must have gotten in his eyes as he drifted and he fell asleep. He took a deep breath and realized something was wrong.

His back wasn’t in the water.

He jolted up and attempted to focus his eyes on the world around him. He saw small currents reaching up to kiss his tail, only to return to the sea.

_The surface. I’m on the surface._

Adrien’s heart just about stopped. He thought about all of the stories his father had told him about the surface and legmen. He hoisted himself up onto his elbows to crawl back into the back into the ocean but his curiosity got the best of him.

The surface took away his breath. A sweet and salty smell filled his nostrils, and in front of the sand was a rich patch of green. He looked up to see what his mother had told him bedtime stories about- the surface above the surface. It was blue with little swabs of white smeared about. Are those white spots the stars? He thought.

“Are you okay?”

Adrien whipped his head around to see the source of the noise. A legman was rushing towards him, hair bobbing in a most unusual manner. The safest choice would have been to flop back into the ocean as the foreigner approached him but he was mesmerized. The legman supported himself on two bendable sticks- legs?- that worked with each other to propel the merman off of the sand as though he was a klutzy swimmer.

“You’re-” The legman stopped abruptly, looking at him in surprise. “Did the tide bring you in?”

Adrien turned to go back into the ocean, realizing that the moment he took to observe the legman was a mistake. To his surprise, the ocean wasn’t there anymore. It was more than a few stretches away from him, no longer caressing his tail.

The legman walked up to him, causing Adrien to crawl backward on his elbows in fear. He opened his mouth to let out a warning but no sound came out.

“It’s okay,” The legman crouched beside him, slowly reading out a hand. Now that the surface dweller was closer Adrien could see that, in fact, in was a maid. A legmaid.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” The legmaid whispered reaching into the material she wore and pulling out a golden brown item. “Here, eat this,” She extended the item to him.

The smell of it wafted into Adrien’s nostrils and his stomach rumbled, identifying it as food. He could hear the protests of his father in the back of his mind as he reached for the offering, too tired and hungry to care if it was a trap. He took it from her and bit into it.

It was unlike anything he had ever eaten before. I had a mild crunch on the outside, but the inside was fluffy and sweet. He inhaled it in three bites and looked at her for more.

“That’s all I have on me,” She smiled, “But if you wait here I can go get some more, is that okay?”

Adrien relaxed a bit at the noise. His father had said that legmen were ruthless creatures who were void of happiness, but the smile she wore proved his teachings wrong. She got back up and started moving away on the legs that supported her.

**7:52 AM**

Adrien rubbed his rumbling stomach. It wanted more of whatever it was that the legmaid gave him and refused to be quiet about it.

“It looks like you got beached.”

He looked around for the creature that said that, unable to see any other legmen around.

“Psst. Over here.”

Adrien looked around to see a creature staring at him. It was black and covered in fur with a long tail despite having back legs. Its green eyes seemed to pierce through him. “Yeah,” Adrien sighed, “And the water’s too far away to get back anytime soon.”

“So you’re letting a human feed you?” The creature asked.

“A what?”

“A human. You know, the thing that just fed you bread.”

“You mean a legman?” Adrien scratched his head. _Bread? Is that what the delicious food is called?_

“Yeah, them. They’re called humans. I can see why you call them that though, as they walk on legs instead of swimming with a tail. The one you just met is a nice one, but they aren’t all like that, especially when dealing with exotic creatures like you.”

“Walking? Rare creature?” Adrien furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Yeah, mermen like you can be sold for a lot of food and treasure,” The creature yawned, stretching itself out. “If I were you I’d swallow a pearl and try to blend in.”

“Swallow a pearl?”

“Didn’t your parents teach you anything, kid? Pearls split the fin into legs so you can pass off as a human. Kind of hurts.”

“Wait, so you’re saying… I can live on the surface?” Adrien asked, bewildered.

“Yup. It does have a catch. Once the pearl is digested you change back. Bigger pearls can last up to a month, but I’ve seen tiny ones only last a few hours. It’s always a gamble.”

“...Where can I get one?”

“Now we’re talking!” The creature jumped down from the rock it was sunbathing on. “I can get one for you, but you’ll have to give me something in return.”

“What’s that?”

“Once a month the girl makes a cake. It tastes like heaven, but she never lets me near it. I want you to get me a slice when the time comes.”

“How would I..?” Adrien trailed off, thinking about the deal.

“I’d get you the pearl first and, once you’re a human, you’ll give some to me,” The creature whisked it’s tail back and forth in anticipation. “Granted, you still won’t be able to talk to the girl, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Why can’t I talk to her?” 

“You can only talk to fellow sea creatures and a select few land creatures.”

“Like you?”

“Yup. I accidentally bit the tail of a different beached merman once and since then I’ve been able to talk to them.”

“Oh,” Adrien flicked his tail away from the black surface animal.

“Don’t worry, I might be a cat but I don’t care for half-human fish.”

“A cat?”

“Wow. How sheltered are you? The name’s Plagg, by the way. I’ve never met a merman like you before. Not that I’ve met a lot of you, but I’ve met a few over the last few centuries.” The cat looked out at the ocean before flicking its ears up in alarm, listening.

“What? Centuries?”

“The human’s coming. Do we have a deal?” Plagg asked.

“Uh…”

“Do you want to go back to the dark ocean, or do you want to bask in the sunlight on the surface?”

“Uh....”

“Do we have a deal?”

Adrien closed his eyes, debating the deal. After the events of last night he had no home to return to, and he did want to learn more about the surface that his father had warned him about for years. “Yes. We do.”

“Great!” Plagg grinned, scampering behind the rock. He trotted back with a round, white stone in his mouth and set in front of Adrien. Picking it up, he took a breath and drew his hands to his lips.

“Here we are!” The legmaid- human- was back. She was holding a basket that smelled like heaven, making him swallow in anticipation. She handed him the basket and sat down next to him, waiting for him to eat. He picked up a ‘bread’ and bit into it, experiencing the happiness he had less than half an hour before. 

“I know you’re hungry, but don’t choke,” she laughed.

Adrien looked at her in surprise. He realized that he must look silly, but it tasted better than anything than he had ever eaten before. He swallowed the bite he had taken and gave her a nod, causing her to blush a little. 

_Thank You,_ he tried to say, but no words came out.

“You’re welcome,” the girl replied, understanding what he was trying to tell her. He rested the basket on his stomach, done with his meal. She was a pretty legmaid but Adrien couldn’t stop looking at where her tail should be. Legs.

He would have a pair of his own.

“Are you going back soon?” She asked, pointing to the ocean. He looked out across the water then back at his tail. The pearl was still in his palm, waiting for him to swallow it.

He shook his head no and put the pearl in his mouth. He felt his body burn as he swallowed it. He turned away from the human and heaved up the breakfast she provided. He heard her gasp but didn’t care. It felt like his body was expanding and compressing at the same time. He turned back to the legmaid and she screamed. He looked down and saw that he, too, had legs.

“You, you’re,” She stammered. “You’re… naked!” He wasn’t sure what she meant by that but he could feel himself losing consciousness. Maybe he had gotten some sand in his eye when he rolled over.

The last thing Adrien saw as the world went black was the girl standing over him, crying and asking him if he was okay.

**12:21 PM**

Adrien opened his eyes to an unfamiliar view. The room he had been sleeping in was most peculiar, with objects in it that he had never seen before.

“Hard to adjust, isn’t it?”

Adrien looked around until he saw a cat perched in the window, cleaning itself with its paws. “You!” He exclaimed. I’m on the surface. He looked down, a bit wary of what he would find. He had on a white top that went from his neck to his hip bones and covered his arms, paired with a brown material that covered to where his legs bent.

His legs.

He still couldn’t believe it. Him? The captain of the guard, a human? The thought made him grin. If only his father could see him now. He had never let Adrien explore the possibility of the surface, let alone go to it. 

“That’s right, me,” Plagg yawned, jumping down from the windowsill to stretch in the sunlight. “It looks to me like you haven’t tried to walk yet.”

“Uh, no, not yet,” Adrien stretched out his hand to touch his legs. It was like touching someone's upper arms, but with a little more hair. “How do I, uh, you know… walk?” 

“You already have the muscle for it,” the cat said, playing with a piece of string he had found. “But let’s not skip steps. You need to learn how to stand first.”

“Stand? Like a crab?”

The cat started laughing at his innocent reply. “Yeah, like a crab. Put your feet on the floor.”

Adrien swung his legs over the side of the bed and placed each foot carefully on the floor. “Does it hurt?” Plagg asked.

“What? Uh, no.”

“Good. That means the blessing is still in effect.”

“Blessing?”

“A few generations back there was a mermaid who fell in love with a human prince. She gave up her voice for legs but whenever she walked it felt like she was walking on swords.”

“What happened to her?”

“The prince fell in love with someone else and she became bubbles.”

“Oh, wow. That’s… unpleasant,” Adrien said, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Well, it was part of the deal she made with the sea witch. Afterward, her father, King of the Merfolk, made a deal with the sea witch that merfolk would never again be able to talk to humans. It did come with a price.”

“And what was that?”

“The merfolk would be able to walk freely, without pain, if they chose to abandon their tail in search of love like his daughter had.”

“Love? With a legman?”

“Human, and yes: love. Moving on,” Plagg sighed and jumped onto the bed Adrien was sitting on. “Try putting your weight on those feet. Stand up.” He watched as Adrien braced himself and slowly stood up. He was almost up all the way when his knees gave out and his chin hit the floor.

“That’s too bad,” the black cat chuckled. “You were almost there.” Adrien glared at him as he pushed himself upright with his arms. 

“They just bent on their own.”

“Sounds like you need to learn how to control your knees. Don’t worry about it. I have yet to meet a merman who can stand on the first try. Do it again.” Plagg flicked his tail in anticipation. Adrien hoisted himself onto the bed and stood up a second time. He stood for a few moments before losing his balance and falling back onto the bed. 

“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Adrien sighed, running his hand through his hair. It was weird to touch; he had never had dry hair before, or dry anything for that matter.

“Do you think you’re up for walking?”

“I can try, but don’t hold your breath.” 

“Well, you can’t stay in bed forever,” Plagg chuckled. He watched as Adrien stood up slowly, holding his arms out for balance, and took three slow steps. “Atta boy!” he exclaimed, just before Adrien crashed to the ground and took a chair down with him.

“Are you okay?” he heard a woman’s voice from behind the door. There was a small knock and she walked in to see Adrien sprawled out on the floor. He rolled over and sat up, grateful that he knew how to use his abdominal muscles. She leaned down next to him and extended her hand. “Let me help,” she smiled.

“There we go,” she said, holding onto Adrien as he stood upright. “You just need to find your balance. Give it time.” The girl looked up into Adrien’s eyes and giggled when she noticed that his face had turned pink from needing her help. She slid her hand from the arch of his back to his hand, causing him to wobble at the shift in balance. 

“I’m Marinette,” she said. “What’s your name?”

Adrien opened his mouth to answer only to remember that he couldn’t talk to humans. He closed it and blushed some more. “Sorry, I forgot that Mermen can’t talk,” she said. “But hey, I can pick up on some body language. Would you like lunch?”

Adrien nodded, squeezing her hand to accent his need for food. He hadn’t thought about it until she mentioned lunch, but his stomach was growling at him for nourishment.

“Great!” She smiled. “I’m almost done with lunch, so why don’t you join me?” she grabbed his other hand to help lead him towards the kitchen.

He stumbled and almost fell a few times but with Marinette’s gentle cheerleading and an abundance of baby steps Adrien walked into the kitchen. He leaned back in the chair that she had helped him into and stretched out his legs, happy to be sitting down. “Are eggs okay?” she asked. “I know it’s lunchtime, but I need to use them.”

Adrien looked around the room, half listening. There were things he recognized: a table, chairs, windows, but there were other things that baffled him. A black pit with unusual seawood inside of it, glowing red and moving as if there was a current, as well as various metals with round ends and many ‘breads’ in a basket. He stood up again, a little faster this time, and went towards the red current. To his surprise, it was warm.

 _I wonder why it’s so warm,_ he thought, reaching out his hand to touch it.

“Wait! Stop!” His hand was jerked away and he looked up in surprise at the girl. “That’ll burn your hand!” 

_Burn?_ Adrien mouthed, feeling his legs start to give out.

“Yes, burn!” She exclaimed. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to play with-” She stopped abruptly, as though she was about to say something she shouldn’t have. “You… you’ve never seen fire before, have you?”

 _Fire?_ Adrien thought to himself. _Fire doesn’t look like this._

“I suppose you haven’t,” she continued. “Fire doesn’t burn in water after all.” She glanced over at Adrien to see his response: furrowed eyebrows that matched his pursed lips. “I’ve heard that volcanoes in the ocean, but I can’t imagine how it works. I mean, how could fire exist in water?” she chuckled. 

Adrien waddled back to the table and collapsed in the chair. Seeing the above-water’s version of ‘fire’ taxed his already worn mind. Too much had happened in the last day. He felt his eyelids closing as a knock echoed through the house.

“Coming!” Marinette yelled, moving something out of the ‘fire’. She turned to Adrien before closing the door behind her. “Stay.”

He closed his eyes as he awaited her return. Muffled voices rang out from the entranceway, but Adrien was too tired to try make them out. He found himself falling into the depths of the dream world.

**2:30 PM**

“But Father! Our scouts say that the blue merfolk have learned how to transport fire. We have to prepare- the only reason they haven’t taken us to war is because our army is larger. If it’s true, it’ll give them the advantage.”

“I raised you better than this. You should know not to listen to silly rumors.”

Adrien clenched his fists, wishing his father wasn’t so stubborn. “Just because no one has before doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

“For the last time, Adrien, pull yourself together or I’ll take you off of the guard.” Gabriel, the highest ranking general in the Green Merfolk Army, looked at his son in disdain. “It would do you good to take the next few days to clear your head.

**4:04 PM**

Adrien jolted awake, the dream of his past clawing at the pit of his stomach. _Did I fall asleep without sand?_

“Are you okay?” The legmaid, Marinette, asked. Adrien looked around the room. He rubbed his now-aching stomach, a reminder that he hadn’t had a lunch yet.

“Looks like you’re getting quality treatment,” a voice from behind him said. He whipped around and there it was- the cat from before. 

“You!” Adrien exclaimed. 

The cat smirked and flicked his tail. “Don’t you dare break your promise.”

“Oh, you! Get out of here! Shoo! Shoo!” Marinette said, prodding a stick in Plagg’s direction.

“Don’t forget the Cheeeesecaaaaake!~” Plagg meowed, jumping off of the window.

“Sorry about that.” The legmaid- human- apologized and put the stick down. “He comes every now and then. I don’t mind feeding him leftovers, but he’s rather picky and I can’t afford his tastes.”

Adrien shrugged and, for the first time in the last few days, smiled weakly. His joints still ached and he wasn’t sure if he could stand up on the first try, but for the first time in what seemed like forever he felt safe. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked straight into hers. They were blue- like his father’s- and her hair was thicker than his. He didn’t quite know how to explain the color. It was like a black that reflected deep, dark ocean hues in the sunlight.

“So I was thinking, because you don’t talk, we could play a game?” The confused look he wore prodded her to continue. “I'll ask you a question and you'll nod yes or shake your head no. Once I've narrowed it down, I'll answer the question myself, okay?”

_Nod._

“See! You've already got the hang of it! Let’s see… How old are you?” She asked. “Oh wait! That’s not a yes or no question, is it? Umm…. are you a teenager?”

_Shake._

“In your twenties? Do mermen live as long as humans?”

_Nod. Shrug.Shake._

“Twenty-six?’

_Shake._

“Lower?”

_Nod._

“Twenty four?”

_Nod._

“Really? Twenty-four?” Marinette clapped her hands together in excitement. “I’m twenty-one, so we aren’t that far away in age.”

Adrien smiled at her excitement and noticed the food sitting in front of him. He wasn’t sure what it was but the smell was overwhelming all of a sudden. He swallowed the saliva building up in his mouth and reached out for the sustenance. It practically melted in his mouth and led to a new feeling. His mouth was a little… not right. It wasn’t… wet enough. He looked up, eyes wide, at Marinette as if she would know what to do. 

“Is your mouth dry? Give me just a moment.” She said, standing up from the table to grab a cup. Adrien watched, feeling helpless, as his mouth demanded attention. “Here we go, drink this.” She placed the cup in front of him and sat back down.

He loomed over it to see what’s inside. As far as he could tell it was water. _Water isn’t something you eat,_ He thought. _It’s part of breathing._

“Is something wrong?”

Adrien inhaled sharply, realizing that he was a human now. He drew the cup to his lips and tilted his head. Most of the water spilled on his shirt rather than his mouth. 

“Oh, are you okay?” She giggled, grabbing a cloth from her pocket and dabbing it on his chest. “Don’t worry, it's only water. It'll dry soon. I guess you aren’t used to drinking, huh?”

_Water… dries on the surface._

“Now then, where were we? Oh! A name! What's your name?”

Adrien stared blankly at Marinette, unsure how to respond. Should he mouth it out or let her guess? 

“Oh, that's not a yes or no question,” she sighed. “Let’s see… Timothy?”

_Shake._

“Andrew?”

_Shake._

“Takeshi?”

_Shake._

“This could go into on forever, couldn't it?”

_Nod._

Marinette laughed at his response, having meant it to be a rhetorical question. “If only you could write…” her voice trailed off.

_Nod._

“You can write?”

_Nod._

“Really? I'll go grab some parchment.”

Adrien watched as she opened a few drawers for ink, parchment and a… something. Well, that certainly isn't a scale. I wonder why it's so… white, he thought while observing her gathering the supplies. She set the parchment down in front of him and dipped the not-scale in the ink. He picked it up and wrote his name.

“I… can’t read this.” She said. Adrien looked up in surprise to her response to his name. “It looks like we use different characters.”

He slumped his shoulders in disappointment. _Of course it’s not going to be that easy,_ he sighed.

“At least you can understand her,” a now familiar voice said. Adrien turned around to see Plagg, once again, resting on the windowsill. 

“I suppose I’ll just have to give you a name. Is that okay?” Marinette asked, unaware that the cat had once again crept in. 

“Why are you back?” Adrien whispered to the fur covered creature. “She’ll just throw you out again.”

“Nah,” he yawned and stretched out his upper half. “This girl is the nicest creature I know. I’ll be fine.” 

“Please don’t mess this up for me. I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Adrien sighed. The cat jumped up onto his lap and plopped down, sending him a smug look as he did so. 

“You’re back!” Marinette exclaimed, pointing at Plagg. “I’m not going to feed you.”

“She says that now,” he meowed at Adrien, “but give it ten minutes. I’ll be eating like a king.”

“A name…” She said, thinking out loud. “Nino wouldn’t fit. Neither would Ivan, I guess…”

“Oh yeah, what is your name anyway?” Plagg asked.

“Adrien.”

“Well nice to meet you.”

“Wow, he really likes talking to you, doesn’t he? It’s almost like he thinks you can understand him.” Marinette laughed at the meows Plagg was letting out. “That’s it! I’ll name you Chat! Because you get along with the cat! Is that okay?”

_Nod._

“Great! Pleased to meet you Chat!”

It’s nice to meet you too, Adrien thought. She was nothing like what his father described legmen to be. 

“Now then, hurry up and finish your supper. You look like you could use some more sleep.”

_Nod._

“Will you need help getting back to bed?”

_Shake._

“Alright then,” She said, grabbing something from the cupboard and putting it on a plate. “This is the last time I’m feeding you, okay?” She said to Plagg, setting the plate in front of him.

“Cheeeeese!” Plagg smirked.

“I mean it. Last time.”

**7:27 PM**

Adrien lay on the bed after a few more rounds of questions before Marinette headed out, thinking about the last few days. His muscles were aching and he wasn’t used to his legs yet, but his mind kept him awake. It had all happened so quickly that it felt like a blurr. The blue mermen. The fire. Father. All of it was now in the depths of the ocean, who knows how many leagues away. 

He sighed, rolled over, and closed his eyes. He felt like there was something he was missing. Something more that would have prevented this tragedy and needless deaths. A tiny detail missed.

_There's a mole._

Adrien jerked from his near-sleeping state. Everything happened so quickly that he hadn’t considered it was an inside job. But what green merman would help a blue mermaid? He thought, going through his soldiers one at a time. Not Jalil. Not Kim. 

_Who destroyed my home?_

Adrien closed his eyes in frustration. His exhaustion overpowered his need for justice and he fell asleep, unable to he hear the voices in the kitchen a few hours later.


	2. Not talking gets old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien becomes frustrated at his inability to talk to (and stand up for) Marinette. Chloé and Sabrina are introduced, Master Wu is mentioned, and Plagg suggests a possible solution

“You can’t sleep forever, Merman.”

Adrien opened his eyes to Plagg, the familiar black cat, pawing at his face, urging him to get up. “Plagg,” He groaned, “Get off.”

“Not until you bring me cheese from the kitchen.”

“I’m not going to steal for you, okay?”

“It looks to me like you don’t have a choice.”

“Really? What happened to my agency?”

“Look down.”

Adrien sighed and looked at what should have been his legs but instead found his tail. “Why don’t I still have…” His voice trailed off. _Was I dreaming?_ He thought to himself, a small spark of hope in his chest. _No. This cat wouldn’t be talking to me if it had been a dream._

“That’s right, your tail is back,” Plagg smirked. “I’ll bet you never thought you’d be surprised about waking up without one.”

“But why? How?” Adrien asked.

“As I said, pearls only last for a certain amount of time.”

“So I'm a merman again?”

“Not if you promise to get me some cheese,” Plagg said, revealing a small pearl in his paw.

“I don't want to steal,” Adrien said.

“Think of it as sharing,” the black cat began to play with the pearl, rolling it back and forth between its paws. “You know she’d give it to you if you asked.”

Adrien gave him a deadbeat stare. “You know I can’t ask.”

“Never underestimate the importance of bo-dy lan-guage,” Plagg purred, flicking his tail suggestively.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he sighed, reaching for the pearl.

Adrien swallowed the white decoration and felt his tail burn as it split apart. A few moments later his legs were back. Not more than a minute later there was a knock on the door. “Chat? Time for breakfast!”

Adrien felt a smile grow across his face as he heard Marinette’s voice. He sat up and, after two attempts, stood up to open the door. A delicious smell wafted over from the kitchen. He sniffed the air with curiosity as he stumbled to the table.

“I’m baking some a cake to sell at the market. The smell fills up the house, doesn’t it?”

_Nod._

“I actually made two today. I’m hoping to sell the extra so I can pick up some fruit on the way home. A friend of mine told me that a shipment of mangos got in at the port yesterday and they’re the most exquisite fruit she’s ever tasted.”

_The surface also has fruit? I wonder if it’s anything like the fruit below water_ , Adrien thought to himself, rubbing his empty stomach.

“Anyway, here we are,” She set down some bread and a glass. “Some rye bread and a glass of milk.”

He stared at the white liquid, unsure how to respond. Did she really expect him to drink what looked like old clam shell water? He wiggled the glass aside and picked up the bread. It was darker than what he had yesterday, freckled with spots a few shades deeper than the crust.

“I used up the rest of the white flour on the cakes so this will have to do,” Marinette said. Adrien looked at her and the bread and slow bit into the bread. After a few chews he nodded his approval and swallowed the piece, leaving Marinette to sigh in relief. “Have you had bread before? Yesterday, I mean,” she asked.

Adrien shook his head ‘no’. It was a little chewier than his previous encounter with it, but the bread was good nonetheless. I wonder how many types of bread there are, he thought, and how does one make a ‘cake’? Is that an ability humans have? To make food out of thin air? Where does bread grow? She said that the main-goes were shipped in- from where? How far can human food travel before going bad?

Marinette heard him sigh while staring at the bread. “What’s wrong, Chat? Do you not like the rye bread?” She asked, thinking his frustration was about the quality of the meal. There were so many questions to ask that needed more than a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.

_Shake_. The bread was good but Adrien wished that he could talk. Being mute had so many limits that he had never thought about before. 

“Would you like to come with me to the market?” She asked. “I don’t know if your legs are strong enough yet, but I think you would like it more than hanging around here all day. What do you say?”

Adrien swallowed the last of the bread and looked down at his legs. He wasn’t quite used to walking but his time in the guard had taught him that mermen are capable of incredible things if you pushed them to it. Surely walking for a few hours couldn’t be any worse than the new recruit boot camp that each member of the guard had to participate in each year. He nodded his head in approval.

“Great!” Marinette clapped her hands together in relief. “I’ll be heading out in about half an hour, does that sound like enough time to get ready?”

_Nod._

“Great! I’ll be just a jiffy!”

She walked out of the room with a smile on her face, leaving Adrien to wonder what a ‘jiffy’ was. He stretched his arms above his head and looked at the glass of white substance. His mouth was dry from the bread and he figured that if Marinette was going to poison him she would have done it by now, so he grabbed it and put it to his lips. The liquid had an unusual taste but helped wash down his meal. I’ll have to ask her what this is when we get back, he thought, draining the glass.

He left the now-empty glass on the table and walked back to the room with his bed. Marinette had already remade it and fluffed the pillow for him, so he sat back on the edge and took a good look around. I wonder where she sleeps? He thought, unaware that it was the only bed in the house. The thought soon left him as he closed his eyes and started to sort through his memories. _Who was it? Who betrayed my father? Who betrayed my kingdom?_

“Chat?” Marinette’s voice broke him out of his concentration. “It’s time to go!”

Adrien blinked himself back to reality. He had gone through about half of the upper guard and still had no answers. He looked up, smiled, and stood up. He was ready to explore the human world.

“Oh, Chat!” Marinette laughed. “I forgot! You don’t have any shoes!”

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. _Shoes?_

“I don’t think I have any extras…” her voice trailed off in worry. “Oh wait! I think I have my father’s!” She exclaimed, running to a closet in the corner and pulling out two… sacks? Bags? Adrien wasn’t sure what purpose they served. “Here we go!” She knelt down and slid the ends of his legs- where his tail fin would be- inside the shoes. 

Adrien stood up and walked around a bit in his new shoes. It was a weird feeling to have the floor consistently sticking to the flat part of his legs but he realized that they would probably protect them. He looked up and gave Marinette a small smile to accompany his nod. 

“Perfect! Are you ready to go?”

_Nod._

“Adrien! Cheese!” Plagg meowed from the windowsill as he and Marinette walked through the kitchen. Sighing Adrien let her get a few steps ahead of him before opening the cabinet door.

“I’ll leave this open for you,” Adrien said, “but it’s up to you to close it when we’re gone.”

Without missing a beat the cat jumped up onto the counter and then into the cupboard to dig for his treat. “Thank you,” He purred, tail sticking out from behind the shelves.

Adrien rolled his eyes and followed his human companion out. As they walked down the dirt path together he took a look at the world around him. The ocean was behind him, waves kissing the surface then receding in a near-rhythmic pulse and in front of them was a green field pasture. _Grass_ , he thought to himself. _Mother told me about this. It’s the surface version of weeds._

Other ‘flowers’ decorated the scene- a white blob here, a cluster of yellow there- that made him realize, once again, that his life was an entire world away. “It’s a gorgeous day out, don’t you think?” Marinette smiled, swinging a basket at her side. “It’s warm, but the bugs haven’t woken up yet. A perfect day for the market.”

Adrien nodded subconsciously, his head filled with thoughts of the world around him. _How far until the village? Do they have any creatures that take them place to place? What are those finned creatures swimming above us? Is it called swimming if there’s no water?_

“Hey Chat, is the land up here anything like the ocean floor?” Marinette broke into his thoughts. 

He closed his eyes to think for a moment. Much like the ocean floor, a light current caressed his face and rippled through the grass. It was brighter than the depths, but he didn’t mind. Part of me likes this better, he thought, It’s a different kind of warm. Adrien looked and her and nodded ‘yes’ then shook his head ‘no’.

“I suppose that is a hard question to answer,” she sighed. “I wonder why you can’t talk. Do you talk to other sea creatures?”

_Nod._

“Really?” Her face lit up. “So, have you talked to sharks?”

_Nod._

“Are they nice?”

_Nod._

“Really? Wow! I thought for sure they’d be hostile.”

Adrien smiled at her naivety. Sharks were common in merfolk villages. Some of them even ran shops and worked for the guard.

“What about jellyfish? Are they nice?”

_Shake._

“You’re joking! Really?”

He wished he could tell her that he simply didn’t care for everyone’s favorite household pet. If anything he would rather have a pet urchin. The jellies were a bit… testy as pets after all. He sighed and looked down the road to see other humans bustling up and down the road. _This must be the market._ Adrien thought.

“Do merfolk have markets down in the sea?”

_Nod._

“How exciting! I wonder if it’s anything like our markets up here.”

Adrien shrugged, focusing his sights on the world around him. It seemed as though, all of a sudden, a million sounds and smells were attacking his senses. Food on his left, colors on his right, hammering echoing from down the street. The vivid proof of life drew out his curiosity.

“What’s this? The insect’s come out to play?” A cold voice cut in, causing chills to run down Adrien’s back.

Adrien turned around to see a blonde girl sneering at him. “Hello, Chloe,” Marinette said, turning to face her. “It’s been awhile since we’ve crossed paths.”

“Of course! Why would I go out of my way to meet a baker’s daughter.”

“Ah, yes, I forgot. The working class is beneath you.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate those who work-” Chloe rolled her eyes- “Just not those take up space.”

“I suppose I’m the latter?” Marinette asked.

“I cannot believe I’m related to someone as slow as you are.”

“And I can’t believe that both you and Sabrina amount to mere trickles of catastrophe but here we are.”

“Well, at least we get to party while you’re stuck here with a blonde boy who doesn’t know what a comb is.”

“A party, how suiting,” Marinette smirked, suddenly taking Adrien’s arm in hers, “Chat and I are perfectly happy together, unlike the girl who needs a dozen new dresses to affirm her worth.”

“Really? He’s your man?” Chloe began to laugh. “Yes, what a catch. A baggy-clothed peasant is perfect for you.”

_So humans have their own oppressed class systems as well_ , Adrien sighed.

“What’s that? Ashamed of your status?” Chloe’s attention turned to him as he sighed. “Well, of course you are. There’s nothing pleasant about being a peasant. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“He doesn’t need to dignify that with a response,” Marinette quickly cut in.

“Let him speak for himself!”

Adrien looked at her and narrowed his eyes, wishing he had a voice to shut her down. Dealing with aristocrats was his specialty, as it came with the territory of being captain of the guard.

“What’s going on here?” Another girl popped in, carrying a large bag.

“It looks like Marinette here got herself a mute stray!” Chloe laughed.

“Wait, does he really not talk?” The new girl asked, widening her eyes to look at him. “He’s rather unkempt too.”

“I know! His hair looks like a lion’s mane. It’s ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”

“Hey!” Marinette exclaimed in an attempt to stick up for her companion.

“Hey, what? Is he not a mute?” Chloe raised her eyebrow.

“Does he know what a bath is? He smells like fish!” The other girl added, pinching her nose shut.

“He-” Marinette began, turning red, “It’s-”

“It’s pathetic, that’s what it is. Come on, Sabrina, let’s not waste our time with these losers. Let’s go.” She clicked her tongue and motioned the girl to follow her.

Adrien turned to Marinette and raised an eyebrow. “I know, don’t get me started,” Marinette sighed. “It’s not you that they have a problem with. It’s anyone they deem unworthy of their time.”

The duo turned away and continued strolling through the market, picking up and setting down various items here and there with the curiosity of a child. Marinette traded a cake for a mango and happily put it away in her bag. A few stalls later she bartered the other cake for what appeared to be some type of cloth.

“It’s for the party,” Marinette winked. “Chloe’s not the only one who gets to go. The entire kingdom’s invited and I know how to sew. I’ll show her I’m not just a baker!” She hugged the bolt of cloth to her chest.

She’s a strong woman. Adrien reached his hand out to pat her head in reassurance. She looked up at him in confusion as he pulled her close. _I’ll have to ask Plagg about my hair when we get back_ , He thought to himself.

“Chat? What’s wrong?” Marinette was startled by his sudden move. He grabbed her hand and started walking back the way they came. He figured that she had done her errands and he wanted to ask her more about the cloth she had and who the girls from before were.

_There must be a way for me to talk to her_. He closed his eyes and thought of Plagg, the only creature in his small above-ocean circle that knew alchemy. _Is it alchemy though? Magic, perhaps? I wonder what the difference is_. Adrien frowned as he contemplated the trivial differences. _Or do they call it something else up here? Is it normal?_

“Chat? Where are we going? Hey, slow down!”

He was surprised at how fast his legs were moving, especially considering that he’d only had them for a day. He glanced behind him to see that she was having difficulty keeping up while her new acquisitions tumbled out of her other arm. They were well out of the marketplace by now, halfway home even, when he stopped and took the items from Marinette.

“What got you spooked, silly?” She asked, dusting off the skirt she wore and rubbing the sweat off her forehead. 

Adrien opened his mouth only to sigh, frustrated with his limitations. _I didn’t realize speech was so important_. He gestured to the path back home and turned away, ashamed of his impediment. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Marinette keeping to herself and Adrien with no other choice but to stay silent.

They retreated to opposite sides of the house when they arrived; her in the kitchen, himself in the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, Plagg was there, bathing in a sunbeam. “How’s it going, alley cat?” He meowed, stretching himself out.

“Alley cat?”

“A stray that comes and out as he pleases. A real charmer with the ladies.”

“I’m failing to see how that correlates, Plagg.”

“I’m just saying, why else would a young woman let you stay in her home, alone, free of charge?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Getting all defensive now, are we?” Plagg chuckled. “The more you deny it the more I’ll believe it!” 

“You’re full of it, you know that?” Adrien frowned. “But I have a question for you.”

“Yes?”

“Is there really no way to speak to other humans?”

“Other humans? You’ve accepted yourself as one already?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Well, there is one way, but it ain’t going to be pretty.”

“I’ll make that call when it comes time.”

“Like, a hundred times worse that swallowing a pearl.”

“Get to the point.”

“You’d have to see a man called Master Wu.”

“Master Wu? Who’s he?”

“He’s an alchemist of sorts, but he dabbles in witchcraft. If anyone would know how to get you to talk it would be him.”

“So what about him makes it a hundred times worse?”

“Well, first of all, he lives in a tower and spins straw into gold.”

“That’s… most peculiar.”

“I’ll say. If you’re going to spin straw into something at least make it valuable, like cheese.”

“So how can I meet him?”

“It’s a three-day walk from here. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“I’ll have to be.”

“It’s your funeral.” The cat jumped onto the windowsill and laid back down. “What about the girl?”

“I want to find a way to talk to her,” Adrien said.

“Looks like somebody’s got a crush.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Really?”

“If I can talk, then I can help. I can’t stay a deadbeat forever.”

“One day of freedom from the sea and you’re already itching to work. Weirdo.”

“I was the captain of the guard. Doing nothing is beneath me.”

“Well, then your skills might do you good on the trip. How are your legs holding up?”

“They’re doing just fine, surprisingly,” Adrien said, looking down to see them. “I think I’ll be able to make it.”

“Well, I’ll get you a couple of pearls just in case they don’t last, but after that you’re on your own.”

“Thank you, Plagg.”

“I’m not doing this for free. I expect the finest cheese you come across when you come back.”

“All right, it’s a promise,” Adrien said, thumping his fist on his chest. “So, where do I go from here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm all for a Rumplestilksin-Master Wu.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually a book that I'm working on IRL, but the characters fit so nicely that tweaking a few things here and there made it a wonderful fanfiction. I'm always open to answering questions!
> 
> You can catch up with me at ladybug-problems.tumblr.com


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